Welcome everyone to our 2006 annual RAANA meeting.
I would like to first thank you all for attending this year. I know it is very difficult for all of you to take time out of your busy schedules. I am grateful that you all were able to make the trip to this vibrant city of New York this afternoon. Some of you have traveled great distances just to be present today. It is truly wonderful to see so many faces in front of me, all here to show their support of this ever-growing organization.
Throughout this past year, RAANA has been able to get in touch with many of our friends and alumni from all around the globe. We have grown internationally, having contacts in almost every continent. Because of these accomplishments, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all three departments and management of SRIPMS and to congratulate all of the office-bearers of 2005 and 2006 for all of their noble and continuing support and hard work.
As many of you are already aware, a number of our friends have been called to eternity during this past year. I feel that it would be fitting to take a moment to remember and show respect for their lives here with us. We will always keep the many memories we have had with them in our hearts forever. I speak for all of RANNA when I send our deepest condolences to their family and friends for their losses. They will be sorely missed. So, I would like to request that we all stand together now, for a moment of silent prayer in remembrance and of thanks to God almighty for the time that we had with them here on earth.
To keep in accordance with the Non-Profit Corporation Law of 1988, RAANA has registered with the Department of State Corporation Bureau in Harrisburg for the purposes of educational, social, cultural, and charitable activities. I would like to thank Mr. George Mathew CPA of George Goldstein Company in Philadelphia for his assistance and guidance in this matter. All RAANA members can now be proud that our organization has received recognition from the birthplace of the American Constitution.
As all of you already know, we have a beautiful and organized website. It has provided a terrific means of communication for our members. I encourage you to post any recent news, whether it is joyous, frustrated, or sorrowful. This site is the only plausible way of connecting our large community. I am overjoyed with the numbers of visitors and postings made to our site every single day. I would like to acknowledge those people who have made this website both a possibility and a success. I would first like to thank my co-worker and friend, Mr. John Malvestoto, who helped to initiate this project. Also, I would like to recognize the director of CyberKerala, Mr. K.S.V.Nampoothiripad. He has been responsible for maintaining the website and keeping up with all of the updates. I wish to extend to him my sincerest gratitude for his continued support and tireless efforts.
Now, I do not know where I would be or where RAANA would be today without the help of vice president of Outsource Strategies International, Mr. Rajeev Rajagopal and CEO and President of Octagon Rehab Services, Mr. Babloo Chacko. These men selflessly volunteered to sponsor this organization and have been vital to RAANA's success. We would not have such a useful and beautiful website if not for their support. I consider them to be like brothers to me, and I cannot begin to show proper gratitude to them for all they have done.
I would like to commend all of you here before me today for each your successes. Some of you have been fortunate enough to establish your lives in our homeland, while others have searched abroad. For those who have gone abroad in the pursuit of happiness, I would like to say that no matter how great or small your achievements; you should be congratulated for leaving your homeland and everything you knew to travel to a foreign land in search of better opportunities. This journey has been very difficult for most of us. We had to assimilate to new customs, find new homes, and search for new employment. There was a tremendous amount of sacrifice and hard work needed to survive, and in many cases, to thrive here in our new homes. At this time, a majority of us sitting here today have settled, assimilated, have homes, and have careers. So, now is the time for those of us who are able to turn our focus to our other alumni who have not yet made it. We must use our experience and resources to aid them on their way to success. We must not forget why we are all here today, standing together as one organization. We are here as a support network for one another. Our unity is what gives us strength, and what will pave the way for future happiness and prosperity.
For the last year and a half, I have received a tremendous number of phone calls and e-mails from many of you. Some of these calls were even from people outside the country. During these conversations, a majority of these people would ask me one common question: Why is it that some of our members are going through such troubling and difficult times in their lives? I can only use my own experience to answer such a question. In my life, when I am feeling that the weight of the world is crushing me and that everything appears to be going completely wrong, I often think of a man mentioned in the Old Testament named Joseph. As I reflect upon his story, it puts my life into focus. This story serves to encourage me, strengthen me, and guide me throughout my life, allowing me to look towards a brighter tomorrow. Joseph was an obedient and kind-hearted boy, but his older brothers were jealous of him, and sold him into slavery in another city. He was faced with much torture and pain. He had no one to come to his rescue or to comfort him in his darkest hours. Even when the Queen offered him the opportunity to experience worldly happiness in exchange for his moral beliefs, Joseph stood behind his principles and was obedient to God. As we struggle in our lives, there is often temptation to do what it not honest or ethical in order to make our lives easier and lessen our burdens. Finally, after many years of prayer and waiting, God gave him the opportunity to escape his situation. He gained favor of the king through his ability to interpret dreams, and became not only free but also wealthy and prestigious. During his struggles, he learned exactly what slavery and starvation truly mean. He now knew the importance of family, love and loyalty. Despite how his brothers had betrayed him, he held no grudges and shared his fortune with them. He used his abilities to predict and prepare for a period of famine, saving all of his family as well as the entire nation from certain doom. One day, God will answer all of your prayers as he did with Joseph. You will achieve what you desire if you have faith and diligence to work for your aspirations.
When you reach that point, though, you must not forget where you came from. It is your duty to aid those who are still struggling as you once did. Even if you were showed no compassion and kindness, you should show it to others. We are all part of one nation, the nation of human beings. We should then provide help to all of our fellow countrymen, our fellow humans. Success is like a ladder. It is difficult to climb and requires some skill and practice to move up its rungs carefully and steadily. When one does reach an acceptable height, however, one cannot forget the way he/she climbed up the ladder. If you did forget, when you had to take a step up or down for some reason, you may miss the rung, and go tumbling back to the bottom. Also, you must be aware of your own abilities and limitations. In our daily lives we have seen these categories of people. We all have our limitations and we all have a duty to remember those who helped us on our journey upwards.
I am aware that a number of our members have been attempting unsuccessfully to become Rphs, RNs, and PTs or to change their careers. There is no doubt that this may be discouraging to many of you. Perhaps you feel like a failure or that you simply do not have the ability to succeed. Allow me then, to tell you about another person whose situation was similar, if not worse. He was born to a low class family, with no real education. He attempted to run his own store-- and his business failed, became a farmer like the rest of his family-- and failed, attempted to gain political office-and lost the election, was elected to the legislature and ran for speaker of the house-and lost, ran for Congress-and failed, he sought appointment to the US Land Office-and failed, he ran for US senate-and failed, he sought to be nominated for vice president-and lost. This appears to be quite a long list of failures for one simple man from Kentucky. Many people in that situation would not have had such perseverance. He learned from his failures to continually better himself and eventually helped to build a better nation. This man, who failed at almost everything he ever aspired to, who came from nothing, who was nobody, who, as long as the world keeps spinning will always be remembered and revered …was Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest president's in American history. So, my fellow RAANA members lift your heads and do not stop fighting for your achievements. The sky may be rainy and dark at this point in time, but one day, there will sunshine.
I look at RAANA like a plant in a garden. Just a short time ago, it was a small sapling, and now, just one year later, it has grown into one that is thriving and fruitful. Our membership numbers in the thousands. We now have contacts and members on every continent. We have been able to connect people who otherwise, would not have been able to connect. RAANA has acted as a bridge to connect one member to another, with no roadblocks or gaps between them. This organization does not exist for personal achievements, but for the success of the organization as a whole. Dear friends, the growth of our organization over such a short period of time is exemplary of how strong the bonds are between us. We must learn how to take advantage of these relationships to benefit the next generation. Our honorable Indian President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is constantly reminding every one of us that the only way to grow and to achieve success in life is to dream it. Our members vary greatly in location, age, and talents. Each member has something unique to contribute to RAANA. To continue in our growth, all of you must think to yourselves how you could utilize your own talents and views to improve our organization in one way or another.
I am well aware that bank accounts are like toothpaste-it is easy to take out from, but hard to put back. If at all possible, it would be greatly appreciated if those who are financially able would contribute what they can to support RAANA. It is vital to the success of this organization to have financial donations from its members. We must be able to continue maintaining our website. Also, we would like to have the resources to aid members in financial distress. If funds permit, it is also the wish of this organization to be able to donate a portion of our funds to charity. To accomplish all this, RAANA requires the support and dedication of each one of its members.
When we were in college, many of us have had our differences with other members. We argued, fought, loved, and struggled. These differences may have even led to a breakdown of communication between friends. Then we move on with our lives. I experienced this personally when I broke off my relationships with all of my friends for a number of years. I was confused about the true meaning of friendship and love. In spite of these arguments, differences, and even who was a senior and who was a junior, it was those friends that searched for me to bring me back into this community. Your actions taught me what real friendship and love actually means. I was in a dark place, and you, my friends, brought me back into the light. I am a perfect example of the ways that RAANA has been able to benefit its members. If we can pass this message of unconditional love and friendship to the next generation, then we will have achieved something more valuable than wealth and power combined.
Again, I would like to thank all of you for attending this meeting today. Your presence here today is a sign of our strength as a unified group. I want to thank all of you for providing me with the opportunity to serve as your president. I feel truly blessed to have you give me this honor. You went out of your way to find me, and to bring me back into the community. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to you all for that. Thank you for all of your support and dedication to the success of RAANA. It is because of you and your determination that RAANA has become such a powerful organization in such a small amount of time. I am looking forward to what more goals we can achieve and the mountains that we will climb as one. I love you all. Thank you and God bless you.
